Category: Musings

Next Gen Device Challenge

Posted on by Drew Neisser

Okay, I admit it, I have iPhone envy. About a year ago I was one of the few bloggers not to rave about it. Why? Because I simply wasn’t willing to slide backward into AT&T’s spotty coverage in New York City. Since then, I have been forced to admire the device from a far, taking solace in the fact that other cool gadgets will come along soon enough. Here’s a round up of some of those devices and a challenge to you all to come up with your own concept–winner will get toasted with six bottles of Toasted Head Cabernet.

Chumby–got to love the name of this “compact wi-fi device that displays useful and entertaining information from the web,” according to its website. Who needs a clock radio when you can use this puppy as the ultimate Internet radio player via a wi-fi connection. At $180 bucks, it feels like a great belated father’s day gift for this gadget lover.

Kindle-One of my clients swears by his Kindle, using it to read his virtual New York Times daily and business books when he is on the road. Developed and sold by Amazon, this nifty device will certainly save trees and cut down on your need for new shelves as it provides wi-fi access to over 130,000 books. It is definitely one of those things that is best experienced first hand and at $360 dollars plus a subscription its hardly a impulse purchase. Nonetheless, I could easily see this on my side table in the not too distant future.

Nokia N800 Internet Tablet-According to CNET, this wireless wonder “is a nice, portable device for on-the-go Web browsing, and it has some worthy upgrades.” Not exactly a rave but at $279, this little puppy won’t set you back too much if you simply want a “travel friendly” gadget for Internet surfing and want to garner a few covetous stares in the airport lounges.

There are many others but I’ve got to get back to work. Be sure to let me know about any existing devices you crave and/or ideas for topping these three before the end of the month.�

And Loving It!

Posted on by Drew Neisser

Get Smart movie posterAs a huge Get Smart fan, I approached the new movie with some trepidation. Would Steve Carrell blow it the way Steve Martin did in Pink Panther? Would it be as stupid as the original Get Smart movie initially called The Nude Bomb? Fortunately, Carrell did not try to imitate Don Adams and Anne Hathaway only copied Barbara Feldon’s hair style when she donned a 99-vintage wig for going undercover. Both created new characters that were true to the spirit of the originals while bringing something fresh to the party. Alan Arkin was terrific as the Chief and has the about the best line in the movie when he is nearly speared by a swordfish beak after a wild ride through a driving range. The writers found time for almost all of Smart’s trademark lines (sorry about that chief, would you believe, etc.) and some of his favorite toys (including an updated but still dysfunctional cone of silence). Get Smart fans will find plenty of homages to the original including a cameo by Bernie Koppel, the surveillance fly and “not the Craw–the Craw” which is scribbled on a napkin in the credits. Ironically, about the only Smart line Carrell didn’t say was “and loving it!” which was exactly how this reviewer felt when the credits rolled.


The Donut Poll

Posted on by Drew Neisser

Got this tasty tidbit yesterday from a friend in Pittsburgh:

I voted at 7:45 this morning. As I came out, a man from a local radio station was doing a “Democratic Donut” poll. He asked me to show who I voted for by choosing a chocolate donut (Obama) or a white powdered sugar donut with pink frosting (Hillary). (I refrained from commenting on the racial stereotyping thing with the donuts.)

Anyway, only 45 minutes after the polls had opened, in downtown Pittsburgh, Hillary was almost two dozen donuts ahead of Obama.  In fact, the Hillary donut boxes were almost empty.

Me? I have white powdered sugar all over my suit now.

Talk about tasty research!  Who needs needs Gallup when donuts can predict a slam dunk.

The Last Lecture: Follow Your Dreams

Posted on by Drew Neisser

Last night, my daughter and I watched a video on YouTube called “The Last Lecture” which was given by Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch. We were both weeping by the end. We were both inspired as well. Over a million folks of all ages have watched this video, some finding inspiration, some finding schmaltz. ABC News (Diane Sawyer) ran a full hour story on Mr. Pausch this week which was also a tear jerker as it tracked his battle with terminal pancreatic cancer seven months after his now famous lecture.

Mr. Pausch also recently published a book called The Last Lecture that is getting favorable reviews across the country. Here’s some background on the book from the Detroit Free Press:

Pausch, a professor at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University, isn’t about dying, however. He’s about living. Living for his wife and their three young children. Living a good life as long as he can.

A now-famous lecture he gave at Carnegie in September has inspired millions who have viewed it on YouTube to follow his example. He hopes his new book, “The Last Lecture” (Hyperion, $21.95), published this week, will do the same. His publisher is banking on “Lecture ” to become the next “Tuesdays With Morrie,” the mega-best-seller by Free Press columnist Mitch Albom about another dying professor.

It all sounds terrible sad. Amazingly and to his enduring credit, it isn’t. My daughter took many of his suggestions to heart. Of course, she instantly asked to paint her room in response to his suggestion for parents to let their kids be creative and pursue their dreams (I consented!). She also took note about how Professor Pausch had gotten himself admitted to Carnegie Mellon for graduate school after having been rejected. You can imagine how relevant this was to a high school junior who is well aware that the high class of 2009 could face the highest rejection rate in the history of college admissions (the class of ’08 did).

I loved his description of a brick wall as simply a test of how badly you want something. I also found myself checking my own dream list just to make sure I hadn’t written too many of them off (and yes, there is still time for me to learn to surf!) So as you approach this weekend, perhaps it is time to review your personal dream list. If not now, when?

Dirty Pools, Clean Water & Black Mirrors

Posted on by Drew Neisser

My wife recently vowed not to give another dime to any politician regardless of their affiliation, position or stated angelic mission. Frankly, she’s just fed up with the lot of them and believes she can do more good supporting ideas like the Life Straw, a simply amazing approach to water purification which could help a billion or so people avoid water-borne diseases. Here’s a couple of quotes from their website:

Recognizing the importance of safe water in our daily lives and the billions of people who are still without access to these basic human rights, LifeStraw® was developed as a practical response to the urgency, and confirms our commitment to achieving the MDGs.

Mobilising LifeStraw® offers relief from waterborne diseases of major public concern such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery and diarrhea. As a personal and mobile water purification tool, LifeStraw® is designed to turn most of the surface water into drinking water, thus providing access to safe water wherever you are.

Happened to see inventor Dean Kamen (also founded F.I.R.S.T. robotic competition) on Colbert Report last week demonstrating his amazing water purifier (a far more expensive & robust system than the LifeStraw) and was reminded about it by this email from fellow a Renegade (thanks Phil!):

Dean Kamen, best known for inventing the Segway, unveiled his latest invention on the Colbert Report— a filtration system that will turn any liquid into pure water without the use of any filters or chemicals. The necessity for the invention arose from the fact that 50% of human disease can be attributed to pathogens in drinking water, a number he hopes his invention will erase. Kamen’s inventions have always inspired me because they are intended to sustain or improve human life rather than pursue wealth through consumer products like most inventors.

The necessity of this invention far surpasses that of any alternative fuel source we may be in the process of developing. If you think about all of the blood that has been shed for oil, just imagine what chaos would unfold around the world if there was no longer fresh water to drink. To put it simply— this is huge.

VERY DIFFERENT SUBJECT–AFTER ALL THIS IS THE MUSINGS SECTION

To water things down a bit, I thought I’d spout about Arcade Fire’s latest web video which is as cool and interactive as their last one. This time you get to manipulate six music tracks via your #1 through #6 keys as the “Melville-like” video progresses. The song is called Black Mirror and the URL for the video is oh so cleverly… rorrimkcalb.com/arcadefire.html (read about this in Creativity.) One word of warning, you will have some time to look in the mirror as you wait for this site to load…

Diet Coke & Heart Health Foundation feels fake–is it?

Posted on by Drew Neisser

I gave my first webinar on Friday to about 200 PR professionals. It was a rather bizarre experience as I talked into the great cybervoid for forty five minutes without any human interaction. If it weren’t for the handful of attendees who proffered their thanks via subsequent emails, the silence would have been downright deafening. Anyway, I bring this up because during my speech entitled “What Recesision? Nine Ways to Cut Through Regardless of the Economy” I take a swing at Diet Coke’s recent “Heart Health Foundation” promotional partnership. Here’s what I said in the section called “Find a Partner”:

Stretch your dollars and enhance your brand by reaching out to non-profits organizations. Non-profits are already feeling the pinch of the slowing economy as their supporters cut back on donations. This happens in every downturn and is really painful for the non-profits who continue to perform an incredible range of socially beneficial services. Mobilize your employees and your customers behind the non-profit you truly believe in and you will be amazed at the good will and good business you will do as a result. The non-profits will be so grateful for your support that they will bend over backwards to ensure you achieve your business goals not just now but for many years to come. It may seem counterintuitive to increase your CSR (corporate social responsibility) now BUT that is exactly why it is worth considering. Your employees will undoubtedly respond with increased loyalty that should also translate into higher productivity.

Of course, as with each of my suggestions, there is a right way and a wrong way. The right way starts by making a sincere commitment like MAC cosmetics and their Viva Glam products which generate thousands of dollars in donations to the MAC Aid Fund. The connection between MAC and Aids is long-standing and sincere. If you plan to partner with a non-profit, think in terms of five and ten year horizons, not a quick hit and run. Consumers have wised up to pretenders and can see an insincere commitment a mile a way.

The wrong way starts with the cry “hey we need a charity” like the one Diet Coke seems to have made with their highly advertising (they bought on the Academy Awards) women’s heart health program. I’m still trying to figure that one out. Okay, let’s see, a lot of women drink Diet Coke and a subset of them may be concerned about their heart health. Hmm. So drink Diet Coke and we’ll donate to the Heart Health Foundation. The link between brand and the non-profit seems tenuous at best and the commitment feels paper thin.

So, here’s the truth–while the Diet Coke connection to Heart Health Foundation feels fake to me, I honestly have no clue if indeed it is. If any of you know better, let me know. Unlike the webinar, blogs are a great way to find/get the truth–you straightened me out about Aveda and can do it again here.